Heel-clamping device



M. F. BROGAN. HEEL CLAMPING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 27. 1916.

Patented J an. 6,1920.

MICHAEL E. BROGAN, OF LAWRENCE,

llIENTS, T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- COBPORATION, 0F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY,

HEEL-CLAMPIN G DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL E. BROGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Heel-Clamping Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to devices for clamping in position upon shoe soles heels which are to be attached wholly or in part by cement or glue. Wood heels are commonly attached in this manner womens footwear. It is desirable that the heel and heel seat of the sole should be held in intimate contact and under appreciable pressure until the glue or cement has dried sufliciently to form a permanent union. It is important that pressure should be applied in such a manner as to avoid displacing the heel upon the sole because the whole appearance of the shoe depends upon the accurate location of the heel and it therefore becomes necessary to remove and reattach a heel which has slipped in the attaching operation. It is also important that the clamping device be so constructed as to permit easy and rapid positioning upon the heel and shoe and that it be capable of quick operation for applying the required pressure. EX- perience has shown that it is desirable further that the pressure he of somewhat yielding character in order to accommodate the wide variation encountered in the shape of Wood heels and obviate danger of breaking the heels. The pressure also, when once applied, should be continuously maintained at the desired amount.

The object of the present invention is to provide a. clan'iping device having the desirable characteristics above discussed and others which will be pointed out hereinafter. To this end an important feature of the invention consists in a heel engaging member shaped to fit over the sloping surfaces of a wood heel, in combination with adjustable means reacting against the last for forcing the heel engaging portion of said member toward the heel seat the heel rests. As herein shown the heel engaging member oomprise v flexible band.

Specification of Letters Patent.

of the shoe upon which Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Application filed June 27, 1916. Serial No. 106,144.

maintained in a U-shaped formation and provided with one portion for engaging the rear sloping surface of a wood heel and another portion for engaging the sloping surface at. the breast of the heel. Means are provided for equally tensioning the ends of the flexible band so that the heel is drawn toward its heel seat by yielding pressure on its front and rear surfaces applied in a direction downwardly and inwardly with respect to the heel. Tendency to longitudinal movement of the heel upon the sole is prevented. by the balanced effect of the inwardly extending component of the pressure applied to the opposite surface of the heel.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a. preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of. illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Flgure 1 is a view in perspective of a lasted shoe having a wood heel secured in place by a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2is a corresponding view in longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail, in side elevation, showing the upper portion of the heel-engaging. member.

In womens foot wear of many styles heels are employed having a very pronounced taper from the heel seat surface toward the toplift so that it is not practical to rely wholly upon attaching nails to secure the marginal portions of the heels to the heel seat. In manufacturing such shoes it is the practice to apply glue and then clamp the heel firmly in place until a permanent union is formed after which attaching nails are sometimes driven to reinforce the connection. The clamp of my invention is herein described as employed in the attaching operation above outlined although it may be employed wherever it is desired to'hold the heel in place for any purpose whatever.

A lasted shoe 10 is shown in Fig. 1 as substantially completed except for the heeling operations. The heel 12 is of a shape commonly employed in womens foo-t wear and has a rear sloping surface convexly curvedadjacent to the heel seat of the sole 14 and a breast surface concavelyfcurved adjacent the pronounced taper forming the.

heel The l -la t e h is provided with a pin hole as usual and the clamping device is so constructed as to take advantage of this feature as will presently appear.

The heel engaging member of the clamping device comprises a wide flexible band 18 of leather or other flexible material. It is secured at its ends to a perforated and tion26 for engaging the rear sloping surface of the'heel and a portion 28 for engaging the sloping surface at the breast. Threaded through the block 20 is a screw 80 provided at its end with a reduced pilot 32 arranged to fit loosely in the last pin hole and a flange 34: arranged to bear against the crown of the last about the pin hole. The outer end of the screw 30 is provided with a handle 86 by which the screw maybe turned to draw the block 20 away from the last and so apply tension to the opposite ends of the band 18.

In using the clamping scribed the heel upon the cemented heel seat surface, the pordevice above detions 26 and 28 of the band are then separated and passed over the tread'face of the heel and the pilot of the screw 80 is entered in the last pin hole, the'screw 30 having been first turned outwardly in the block 20. The handle 36 0f the screw is then turned in the proper direction to draw the block 20 downwardly away from the last. As tension is applied to the ends of the band 18 the heel engaging portions thereof slip downwardly upon the heel until they reach a position of equilibrium whereupon further movement of the block 20 applies an increasing yielding pressure upon the heel tending to hold it firmly in position without tendency toward longitudinal movement. As tension is applied to the band in a direction substantially at'right angles to the heelseat, the screw 30 reacts against the last applying pressure thereto.

Having applied pressure to the heel in the manner above outlined a shoe is then placed in a rack where it is allowed to remain for a sufiicient interval to allow the cement orglue to set or harden. "During this time the pressure is uniformlymaintained upon the heel and eventually the clamping device is removed in preparation for its employment upon another shoe. It has beenfound that if. each operator is supplied with three or four dozen pair of my clamping devices the glue or cementwill have become suificiently hardened to allow the removal of the clamp- 12 is properly positioned" ing device from the first shoe treated by the time that the operator has reached the last clamping devices of his set so that he may proceed to carry out a continuous process, using the clamping devices over and over again as they are required.

The heel engaging portion of the band 18 may be made of suitable shape to fit heels of different styles. In the present case, as shown in Fig. 3, the curve of the band is inclined so that the portion 26 which passes over the rear surface of the heel is somewhat longer than the portion 28 which passes over the shorter curved surface at the breast. In dealing with a half Louis heel, on the other hand, the entire band may be passed over the tread surface of the heel, or one portion. over the tread surface and another over the rear sloping surface.

Having thus (16501311066. my invention, I claim as newv and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A heel clamping device comprising a flexible member shaped to engage the sloping surfaces at the front and rear of a heel, and means for tensioning said member and maintaining it under tension.

2. A heel clamping device comprising a flexible band having separate portions shaped to engage opposite sides of a heel and common connecting portions for said separate portions, and means arranged to apply tension to the connecting portions of the band and maintain the band under such tension.

3. A heel clamping device comprising an integral band of flexible material shaped to fit over the rear sloping surface of a heel and also conforming thereto, and means for drawing the ends of the band to apply a yielding pressure to the heel in a direction substantially at right angles to the heel-seat and to hold it thereon.

4. A heel clamping device comprising a flexible band having a portion shaped to extend over the rear sloping surface of a wood heel and another portion shaped to fit over the oppositely sloping portion of the breast surface, together with means for equally tensioning both portions of the band to hold the heel upon its heel seat without tendency to movement longitudinally of the shoe.

5. A heel clamping device comprising a flexible U-shaped band, split longitudinally at its bend to fit over a wood heel and engage the sloping surfaces thereof, and means for pulling; the ends of the band so that the sides of the split portion shall assume inclinations in opposite directions corresponding to the inclinations of the heel surfaces.

6. A heel clamping device comprising a flexible U-shaped band shaped to fit over a wood heel placed upon a lasted shoe, a threaded member fixedly attached to the ends of the band, and a screw extending through the threaded member and being arranged at one extremity to bear upon the upper face of the last and being provided at the opposite side of the threaded member With means by which it may be turned.

7. A heel clamping device comprising a flexible band With oppositely arranged heel engaging portions, a block to which the ends of the band are secured, and a screw having at its inner end a reduced pilot shaped to enter a last pin hole and a to bear upon the last about the hole.

8. A heel clamping device comprising a Wide flexible band having separated portions U-shaped in contour and longer at one edge than at the other, together with means for straining the band over the heel of a shoe to hold the heel against its heel seat.

9. A device for clamping a heel upon a lasted shoe comprising a bar, a heel-engaging member fixed to.v the ends of said bar, and a tensioning member movable through the bar for cooperation With the last.

10. A device for clamping a heel upon a flange arranged lasted shoe comprising a body portion, a heel-engaging band secured at its ex tremities to said body portion and being divided to contact With opposite sides of the heel, and a screw movable through the body portion for cooperation With the last.

11. A device for clamping heels of shoes comprising a flexible member having separate portions of substantial Width, the sections being respectively arranged to engage and conform laterally to the opposite sloping sides of a heel, and means for forcing the heel-engaging portions into cooperation with the heel.

12. A device for clamping heels of shoes comprising a flexible band divided to engage opposite sides of a heel the divisions being yieldable toward and from one another laterally but being fixed against relative 1ongitudinal movement, and means for applying tension to the band.

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

MICHAEL F. BROGAN.

signed my 

